Announcements, May 4

Holy Baptism, Sunday, May 7, 10am: We will baptize a new member of Christ’s Kingdom, little Harlem. Please welcome the White family as they celebrate this holy occasion among us!

Spring Clean-Up Day, Sunday, May 7, 11:30-1pm: Join us after the 10 am service to enjoy a time of shared work on our beautiful grounds, tidying them up and preparing for the growing season. A list of tasks will be posted in the Gathering Area ahead of time. Wear or bring your scruffy clothes and work gloves. Lunch will be provided! We will wrap up by 1pm.

Visitation and Memorial for Larry Alt, Sunday, May 7, 2:30pm: Larry Alt will be remembered with Visitation at 2:30pm, followed by a Memorial service at 3:30pm. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gloria and the family.

Evening Eucharist, Sunday, May 7, 6pm: Join us for a simple service before the week begins. All are welcome.

Birthday and AnniversaryBlessings and Healing Prayers will be given this Sunday, May 7, as is our custom on the first Sunday of the month.

MOM Special Offering, Sunday, May 7: This Sunday, half the cash in our offering plate and any designated checks will be given to Middleton Outreach Ministry’s food pantry. Here are some current most needed items: toilet paper & paper towels; oil and butter; ketchup and mayonnaise; dried lentils, garbanzo, or black beans; and baking supplies (all types, including boxed mixes). Thank you for your generous support!

Creation Care Opportunities in our Community: As a follow-up to St. Dunstan’s recent Creation Care Open Meeting, two upcoming public events on Saturday, May 13, offer opportunities consistent with our parish goals for environmental stewardship. Thanks to all who participated in the conversation last weekend!

Home Compost Bin & Rain Barrel Sale, Alliant Energy Center, Saturday, May 13th, 10am – 2pm: This annual sale provides discounted compost bins and rain barrels to area homeowners. This event is part of a community-wide effort by the Madison Area Municipal Stormwater Partnership to promote practices that reduce and improve stormwater runoff into Dane County lakes, rivers and streams. Members of St. Dunstan’s who have installed home compost or rainwater collection systems may be able to help you put your own system in place! Note: Supplies are limited! Pre-order at https://rainreserve.com/madison to guarantee availability. Additional information is available at https://www.cityofmadison.com/streets/compost/CompostBinSale.cfm.

Friends of the Arboretum annual Native Plant Sale, Visitors Center, UW-Madison Arboretum, Saturday, May 13th, 9am – 2pm: This sale offers more than 200 species of native plants suitable for a variety of light and soil conditions. No plants are dug from the wild. All are native to the area and, once established, require minimal care. During the sale, experts are available to answer questions. The plant sale is open to all. The sale will take place at the big tent on the lawn in front of Curtis Prairie, near the Visitors Center at the UW-Madison Arboretum. For more information, see https://arboretum.wisc.edu/get-involved/friends/native-plant-sale/.

THE WEEK AHEAD & BEYOND…

Recovery Eucharist POSTPONED: Please contact Rev. Miranda at office@stdunstans.com or at 238-2781 if you have interest in this event.

Madison-Area Julian Gathering, Wednesday, May 10, 1-2:45pm: We welcome everyone who is interested in learning more about contemplative spirituality in the Christian tradition. We meet every month for contemplative prayer and discussing the writings of Julian of Norwich, a 14th century English mystic who has been called “a theologian for our time.” We would love to have you join us.

Guest Preacher, Sunday, May 14: We welcome Hal Edmonson as our guest preacher this Sunday. Hal was raised in Madison, a stone’s throw from St. Dunstan’s, and is currently pursuing his M.Div. at Harvard Divinity School.

Sunday School, Sunday, May 14, 10am: Next Sunday, our 3 year olds to kindergarten class will learn about the Good Shepherd and World Communion, while our elementary classes will learn about the apostle Stephen and how he died for his faith.

St. Dunstan’s Day All-Ages Worship & Hat and Tie Sunday, May 21: We will celebrate the feast day of our saint, Dunstan, on Sunday, May 21. It’s the 60th anniversary of our parish’s founding and naming! You’re invited to mark the occasion by dressing up with a fancy hat and/or tie, serious or playful. Wear your own or borrow one from the collection at church. Easter Sunday saw a fine array of bowties on our members; can we top that number? We will formally welcome new members on this festive day. It’s our custom to take photos of the whole congregation after each service that Sunday; we hope you’ll stay a few moments to participate.

Making Our Grounds an Eternal Home: Discussing a Columbarium for St. Dunstan’s, Sunday, May 21, 9am: At St. Dunstan’s, members are welcome to scatter the ashes of their loved ones on our grounds, with the intention that those ashes become part of the soil of this place. We do not currently have a place or a practice for interring ashes in urns in a columbarium of some sort. Interested members are invited to a conversation about the legal and logistical differences between scattering ashes and interring urns, with the goal of establishing whether there is a desire among our congregation to create a columbarium here. If you have questions or input and can’t attend the meeting, talk with Sharon Bloodgood or Rev. Miranda.

Spirituality of Parenting Lunch, Sunday, May 21, 11:30am: All who seek meaning in the journey of parenthood (at any age or stage) are welcome to come for food and conversation. Child care and a simple meal provided.

Young Adult Meetup at the Vintage, Sunday, May 21, 7pm: The younger adults of St. Dunstan’s are invited to join us for conversation and the beverage of your choice, at the Vintage Brewpub on South Whitney Way. Friends and partners welcome too.

Would You Like to Learn how to Tackle a Tree? As one way to approach the many dead trees on our Pine Island, we could take a group to learn about how to remove dead trees – and what to do with them afterwards – at TimberGreen Woods in Spring Green. The date of the training is TBD and could depend on our group. Sign up on the interest sheet in the Gathering Area or talk with Rev. Miranda at 238-2781. Read more about TimberGreen Woods here:

Teen Clothing Drive for GSAFE: Do you have clothing collecting dust in your closet? Eager to support transgender teenagers struggling to build a wardrobe that makes them feel confident? Swing by St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, May 28th between 1pm-4pm to donate your gently used, teen-friendly clothing to GSAFE’s Youth Leadership Board for their clothing swap events! Not sure if your apparel and accessories are teen-friendly? Bring them by and let our teen volunteers be the judge. You’re welcome to bring donations ahead of time, as well. St. Dunstan’s is glad to host this event, to support GSAFE in their important work supporting kids in Madison’s schools.

Summer Flowers: From June through August, we are trying something new with our altar flowers. We invite members to sign up to *bring* flowers, instead of ordering them through our florist as usual. During these months, local flowers are readily available, at the farmer’s market or in your own gardens. We are planting some flowers on the church grounds as well, which can certainly be used! If you’d like to contribute flowers, simply sign up for your chosen Sunday. You can still make a dedication, and we will include it in the bulletin as usual. You may use your own vase, or one of the vases here at church. Please take your flowers home, or give them to a friend, after the 10am service. Questions? Talk with Gail Jordan-Jones or Rev. Miranda.